A Moment of Weakness
by fanaticgirl08
Summary: What if at Malfoy Manor Hermione wasn't rescued from Bellatrix's torturing by Dobby and her friends? What if an unlikely hero stepped in? AU in which school enemy Draco Malfoy makes a last minute decision to save Hermione.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione's screams tore through the walls of Malfoy manor, as Bellatrix once again pointed her wand at her and uttered the cruciatus curse. Once again Hermione screamed in pain, louder and more desperate than ever. She had no idea how long the torturing had been going on, but she knew that if it continued for much longer she'd give up. Getting a small break from the torturing, she looked over at Draco, praying to everything and everyone that he would help her, she didn't care how, she had already pleaded to be killed, she'd do absolutely anything to get away from Bellatrix's control. Hermione turned her head toward Draco and looked at him, her once bright and lively eyes were now dull and empty. "Help me... Please." She croaked her voice hoarse from all the screaming. She could feel her heart beat slowly against her chest and it was slowing down still. She wouldn't make it much longer. Looking up at Bellatrix Lestange as her voice started fading and her dying eyes met his.

Draco froze as his eyes met Hermione's, for a moment completely lost in himself. Every nerve of him was telling him to help her but fear gripped at him. Bellatrix Lestrange was formidable no matter who you were. But in a second, Draco's mind was made up. Gripping his wand tightly, he thrust it forwards, everything happening so fast he couldn't fully comprehend what spell he'd used on his aunt to disarm her.

Bellatrix was so busy focusing on the Mudblood girl in front of her, laughing manically and jumping a little as she passed out. She picked up her knife that she'd used on Hermione, to carve her name into her arm. That's when she saw him. Cissy's boy raise his wand at her and before she could react, she was down. Draco shoved his wand away and hurried over to Hermione. He shook her roughly. "Granger," he hissed. "Wake up. You have to wake up," he demanded, his hands nervously flittering around, unsure of how to help. He fumbled around her neck, feeling for a pulse. "Wake up," he repeated, shaking her again. Hermione lay there, motionless. His parents were running over to Bellatrix and clearly beginning to panic about it all. The consequences of it all. Their son being so stupid and reckless. What would Lord Voldemort do to them all for this.

Draco spared his parents only a glance and winced slightly before stunning them both. Then he lifted Hermione up into his arms before Apparating away.

* * *

He landed roughly but kept a hold of Hermione. Laying her down on the ground, he immediately tried to rouse her again. "Granger," he snapped, shaking her again. Their surroundings were nothing but trees and other such greenery. In amidst the panic and hasty decision of saving Hermione from his family he'd apperated them to one of the nearest forests outside of Wilshire. He'd at least been smart enough to also grab Hermione's wand and bag from Aunt Bella at least. Though how much use they'd be if she didn't wake up.

Hermione could vaguely hear a voice calling her name and immediately was filled with both relief and fear. She hadn't died like she'd thought she was going to. Rather she'd simply passed out and this was Bellatrix back for more. Hermione opened her eyes, seeing blurry shapes above her. ''Please...'' she spoke, her voice hoarse with screaming. Her eyes stared to focus on the shape of the person hovering above her and they widened when she realised it wasn't Bellatrix but Draco. He started speaking to her but she wasn't listening, her eyes had wandered to what was behind him; trees. But they were at Malfoy Manor. Her, Harry and Ron. ''What's going on, Malfoy?'' she forced herself to voice the question, despite how much it pained her.

Draco hushed her. "Granger, I know you love being an incessant know-it-all but would you just rest your voice." he told her, sitting back on the ground, relief flooding through him. She was alive. It was worth it. He ran a hand through his hair.

Hermione waited a moment, giving herself an overall check. She ached all over and her head was pounding. ''I can't...I can't feel...my legs.'' she spoke, not listening to Malfoy's request of being quiet. She needed answers.

Draco blinked, unsure of what to do with that information. "I..." he started before stopping and shaking his head. He leaned over her again and looked at her eyes, checking if she had a concussion or anything. ''You've had a bad blow to the head and your pretty battered up. Some spells can sort out most of the physical wounds...don't suppose you can carry many supplies in that tiny bag of yours, Granger?''

Hermione frowned, trying to sit up at least but it was no use, the pain was too much and she was too weak. She'd never felt so useless or helpless. ''There's an extension charm on it. I packed anything I could think of for every type of scenario possible.'' Draco picked up her bag and started rummaging through it, looking for supplies that he could use to heal her wounds. He started pulling out changes of clothes, some books and a tent. As his arm disappeared and he rummaged through the contents. It was when Draco's arm came into contact with the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black that he finally found a vial of Essence of Dittany and some other useful things. He didn't bother to scrutinise her blood for mud as he began working on her injuries in silence. Hermione lay there in silence, giving up on getting any answers out of Draco as he worked on her.

Once Draco was done healing the worst of her cuts and bruises he started to pack everything up into the beaded bag before picking up the tent. Hermione gingerly pulled herself up into a sitting position but she still couldn't move her legs or even attempt to get up. ''Where are Harry and Ron, Malfoy?'' she tried again for the sixth time now that he was done healing her.

''When I've finished with getting this up we can get inside and work out a way to fix your limb-lock.'' he told her, avoiding her questions again. Hermione was known for being stubborn though and enough was enough. ''Malfoy, tell me now. Where are they? Where are WE?''

This time it seemed that she was finally going to get a response from Draco as he turned to face her a little but didn't meet her in the eyes. "I couldn't risk trying to get them too," Draco admitted as he finished constructing the tent and then proceeded to help Hermione up and get her inside the tent, where she guided him to the back where the bedroom area was. Draco deposited her onto the lower bunk of the bunk bed. "You'll get back to them again," he told her, not sounding extremely confident.

''We can't leave them!'' she protested. ''I-I have to go back! I can't just leave them like that. Who knows what they'll think when I'm missing? Or what will happen to them not that I'm not there?''

"Granger, you can't," Draco said adamantly. "It's not as though you're in any condition to go trekking back there. Potter and Weaselbee will be all right," he said firmly. "You can join up with them again at a later date. For now, this is it."

Hermione screwed her eyes shut. She needed to not be here right now wherever here was. Especially here with Draco Malfoy while her best friends where still trapped at Malfoy Manor. And here she was, in the middle of a forest. Instead of being where she needed to be with Harry and Ron, fighting beside them.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco guessed that it had been about four hours since Hermione had fallen asleep. It had grown darker since he'd first apperated them to that forest and Draco was glad for the quiet and dark. After they'd talked about going back to Malfoy Manor for the chuckle brothers and it was firmly vetoed, it was suggested Hermione should try sleeping for a bit and for once in her life Hermione listened. It had given him time to sit and think about what he'd done. He was sitting at what he assumed was supposed to be a kitchen table, though it was more like a wooden bench, he was watching Hermione sleep as the gravity of his actions began to sink in.

 _He'd managed to piss off You-Know-Who after only being a death eater for a year, betrayed his family and who knows how much danger he'd put them in too. All because he'd had a bloody moment of weakness for a stupid mudblood._

He got up from the kitchen table and headed for the tent flap. He needed some air and to get out of the sodding thing and to be alone.

 _What an idiot he was. Saving Granger. What did that mean for him? Well it was simple. It made him a fucking blood traitor. That's what it meant. He'd screwed over his family and put a target on his back._

Hermione woke up with sore limbs and a headache hours later, feeling like she'd been hit by a train and momentarily confused by her surroundings before she remembered. Dean forest. The Snatchers. Being taken to Malfoy Manor. Harry and Ron being separated from her. Bellatrix torturing her...and Malfoy. She remembered. Being tortured by Bellatrix about the sword. Thinking she was going to kill her. She'd begged Malfoy to help in desperation...and he had. And Harry and Ron...they were still there. Oh Merlin. Hermione sat up and looked around. ''Malfoy?'' she called, not able to get up. ''MALFOY?'' she called louder when they're was no response. Draco appeared through the tent flap, looking cold with his pale face tinted red. They both stared at each other for a moment, not knowing how to handle each other. They weren't exactly chummy with one another. Even before the war really started.

''I was just putting up some wards.'' he finally broke the silence before closing the tent and shutting the freezing wind out. ''I didn't take us too far when I...'' he stopped mid sentence, not knowing how to finish it. Hermione watched him as he stood across from her looking at a lose for words. ''Malfoy, I don't think I actually said this before but thank-.''

''Granger, don't bother.'' he interrupted her, looking uncomfortable about the whole situation. ''Just forget it.''

''Why do you regret it?''

''It's irrelevant.'' he mumbled, going over to the kitchen table again where he'd emptied out some of the contents from her back. Potions and other things he thought could be used for her limb-lock. Not everything that was needed was there but what was there would do, just about. ''What's done is done and that's all that matters.'' he muttered.

''Why? Because I'm a Muggle-born?''

Granger-''

''What you did wasn't wrong, Malfoy. There's nothing wrong with-''

''What do you hope to gain from this?'' he asked bluntly, interrupting her.

''I'm trying to thank you!'' she burst, her hands knotted in the sheets in frustration at her sides. She twisted them as she looked at him. ''You saved me and I'm grateful for it. You're not as bad as you-''

Draco turned away from the table to face her again. ''Alright, to make this clear, Granger. This isn't going to be a little incident we bond over. We're not going to suddenly be making friendship bracelets and telling each other our deepest fears. I'm a death eater-''

''No you're not.''

''I'll admit I'm not going to win Death eater of the year or anything.'' he continued. ''I just betrayed the most dark and powerful wizard ever, but I'm still a death eater. And you're part of the light, Dumbledore's precious little army. That's not going to change and this won't change anything either. So give it a rest. We'll get you fixed up and you and go back to fighting death wishing with Potter and Weaselbee and I'll go back to my family. Simple as.'' he finished.

Hermione gaped at his outburst, and the both froze, staring across at each other. Shock and outrage flickered in Draco's eyes as he realised what he'd said, and he would have given anything to suck the words back in. ''Fuck this.'' he announced, heading for the door.

* * *

It had been almost an hour since Malfoy had left and Hermione was getting anxious. Maybe he'd left her. Decided this was too much trouble and went back to his family already. Made up some excuse about how he'd been under the influence of the imperious curse. That none of it was his fault and he was ready to serve under Voldemort again. As much as she hated the thought she needed Malfoy. She still wasn't mobile and needed someone to help her out while she healed and he was her only hope of getting the potion she needed to get rid of the limb lock. It irked her to think it but she hoped he'd cool down and come back.

* * *

Hermione gagged on the sickly and lumpy potion as it crawled down her throat and landed in her stomach like a lump of wet cement. ''That's awful. It tastes like gone off porridge.''

''That's how we know it's going to work.'' Draco responded, taking the empty vile from her and setting it down with the ingredients he'd used on the table. ''You should probably wait for a few minutes for it to take effect before you try anything.''

''I know.'' Hermione told him stubbornly. ''Will I have to take it everyday?'' she asked, not liking the idea of drinking that vile potion more than once.

''Yes, Granger. Until your legs are working and your walking around like your annoyingly cheerful know-it-all self. I'd give it a week.''

''A week? Is there no way to speed-''

''No. And believe me I wish there was too.''

Hermione slumped back in defeat, her shoulders drooping. ''Alright then. We're here for a week and then that's it. We go our separate ways. I go back to the order and get Harry and Ron back and you go back home to your life. Agreed?''

''Agreed.''


End file.
